₹ 1,200-Cr Secretariat, Olympic City, Formula 1 Track: Vijay announces plan to transform Chennai | Today’s news
In a move likely to please sports lovers in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister C Vijay Joseph on Thursday announced his government’s plan to set up a world-class Olympic city in Chennai along with a dedicated motor sports city in the capital to host Formula One races.
Tamil Nadu to get Olympic city: Here’s what the CM said
He announced this under Article 110 in the State Assembly, ANI reported. The CM’s office said the Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority will oversee the development of the Olympic City, which is planned to include international-standard sports arenas, advanced sports facilities, a high-performance training center and specialized sports science and sports medicine centres.
Vijay said the facility will also have modern infrastructure, including accommodation for athletes and coaches. Olympic City is envisioned as an integrated sports center that provides athletes with advanced training and support facilities aimed at helping athletes from the state win more medals at the Olympics and other international sporting events.
He further said, “World standard Olympics infrastructure and training structure with residential facilities will be built. This will help Chennai host international events and churn out Olympians.” Addressing the gathering, he noted, “An Olympic City will be established in Chennai. A Motor Sports City will also be established in Chennai to host Formula 1 races. Youth talent in motor sports will be identified and training and racing opportunities will be provided to create national and international champions.”
CM Vijay also announced plans to set up a new integrated Assembly-cum-Secretariat complex in the capital for ₹1,200 crore, indicating that the government is planning to shift from the historic Fort St George. He said the modern complex will house all the ministries of the state administration and will have a built-up area of 20 million square feet.
Will CM Vijay Bring Back Formula 1 Racing?
Earlier in June this year, Tamil Nadu’s Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) set up a task force to oversee motor sports with a vision to bring back Formula 1 racing to the country by the end of 2028. Quoting a source, ANI said, “We will try to bring back F1 in India by 2028. For this, we have submitted a report to the ministry to monitor motor sports and have formed a motor sports task force.
Earlier this year, Arindam Ghosh, president of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), attended a meeting with the Union Sports Ministry in the capital, where he said work was underway to bring motor racing back to the country by 2030. He also said India could host a round of the World Rally Championship (WRC) and MotoGP by 2028.
Later, at the annual FMSCI awards, Ghosh said, “The meeting with Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Foreign Minister Raksha Khadse, senior officials and potential stakeholders in New Delhi focused primarily on bringing F1, MotoGP and the WRC circuit to India.”
He added, “The federation has emphasized the need to develop Indian drivers and the overall development of motorsport in India and FMSCI’s contributions have been well received.”
